title: Effect of attractant sex pheromone on immature larval stages of ixodid tick species.
abstract: Attractant sex pheromone (ASP) 2,6-dichloro phenol was used in the current study to evaluate the percentage attraction and the behavioural responses of the five ixodid tick species namely Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus microplus (Boophilus microplus), Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and Hyalomma marginatum using petridish bioassay. Two concentrations of 2,6-DCP (0.1 M and 0.05 M) was used for the larval stages of all five ixodid tick species of which 0.1 M concentration was found to have maximum attraction. Trials with 0.1 M ASP revealed highest per cent of attraction in R. sanguineus larvae (71 %) followed by H. bispinosa (55 %) and R. microplus (55 %). With 0.1 M ASP R. haemaphysaloides and H. marginatum showed least attraction (39 % each). However the per cent of attraction of R. haemaphysaloides was higher (46 %) with 0.05 M ASP. Statistical analysis revealed a highly significant difference in per cent of attraction between the different tick larvae using 0.05 and 0.1 M ASP. The larvae also exhibited behavioural responses such as feeding, probing, resting and questing posture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, 600007 Tamil Nadu India ; No. 11, Pary Street Extension, Choolaimedu, Chennai, 600094 Tamil Nadu India.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ranju
authors.forename: Bhaskaran Ravi
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Latha
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leela
authors.forename: S Abdul
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Basith
keywords: 2,6-DCP; Attractant sex pheromone; Behavioural response; Ixodid tick larvae